Velocipede



(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

E. J. OGONNOR. VELOUIPBDE.

310.468.8223. Patented Feb. 16,1892.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheett 2.

E. J. OGONNOR.

I v VELOOIPEDE. 7 No. 468,823. Patented Feb. 16, 1892.

T2? 7: ya /2 z YK/ y UNITED STATES PATENT ,OFFIQE.

EDXVARD J. OOONNOR, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

VELQCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,823, dated February16, 1892.

Application filed June 3, 1891 Serial No. 394,985. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. OGoNNoR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and I will hereinaftermore fully appear and be set forthin the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation ofa Safety bicyole, showing certain of the present improvements embodiedtherein. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, 011 a larger scale, of thedriving mechanism, taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig.

3 is a side elevation of a part of the driving mechanism as seen at theopposite side from that of Fig. 1. Fig. i is a perspective illustrationcomprising views of different parts embodied in the machine about thepedal and driving mechanism and which will be hereinafter moreparticularly referred to.

Fig. 5 shows the spring-fork detached from the machine.

In the drawings, A represents the head of the machine, which is to beconstructed in any usual or improved manner, the same comprising theforked legs a Ct.

l2 represents the axle for forming the hearing for the front wheel.

The novel-engagement between the front fork and the front-wheel axle isconstituted thus: On each end of the axle there is an angular orY-formedlever, which at the portion d adjacent or slightly extended fromthe junction of the members f and g is engaged with and has its bearingupon the axle. The extremity of each fork-leg is back of the axle, andthe memberf of each of said angular levers extends upwardly andrearwardly and has a pivotal connection with one of the forkleg'ssomewhat above its end. The fork-1eg end has an eye or aperture at h,through and beyond which the rearwardly and more or less downwardlyextended arm or member g passes, and the arm 9 has a stop fl at its end,between which and the fork-leg end the spring j is applied. The weighton the frame or head causing the fork-legs to exert a downward force atthe pivotal connection thereof with the angular lever member f insuresthe swinging of the lever until the spring is compressed.

in a degree equal to the force applied, and it will be understood thatthe bearing between the front wheel and the front portion of themachine-frame is such a one as will render insignificant the jolting andvibration which may be directly imparted at the front wheel. It will benoticed that the member 9 of each of the angular levers is of arc form,as generated from the point e on the member f of pivotal connection withthe front fork, so that there will be no bind between the arm 9 and thefork-eye 7b. This form of springfork connection at the head of themachine, while highly efficient for the purposes for which it isdesigned, may be of a comparaitively light and very inexpensiveconstruction.

For the purposes of clearness of illustration in the drawings, Figs. 1and 5, the members fof each of the angular levers of the front-forkbearing is shown as having a considerable foreand-aft rake orinclination greater than that of the fork; but in practice such a greatinclination is not necessary, and the structure in design will be neaterand more compact and yet as efficient when the members f f are almostparallel with the forklegs.

13 represents the backbone of the machineframe, and the rear of thebackbone proper is pivoted or jointed to the portion of themachine-frame forward of the rear-Wheel fork D, as indicated at 70.There is radially of the pivotal line 7r; a downwardly-extended lug l,

which is hung on the pivot pin or bolt applied at 70 for effecting thejoint.' Said lug has a slight swinging motion in the vertical planelongitudinally of the machine, and the extremity thereof is in the formof a yoke Z, (see Fig. 4,) through which the intermediate portion of theleaf or plate spring m is held and supported. The forward end of thesaid spring is held under stress, being connected to a link or clevis n,which is hung upon the clip 0, secured on the rear portion of thebackbone. The rear end of the said spring at is also held under stressby being connected to the clevis p, which is hung on the forging or part0 of the machine-frame just at the rear of the joint 70. The weight onthe frame either at the fore or after part thereof, which would tend tocause the same to collapse in view of the joint 70, is resisted in aneasy and gradual manner by the spring appliance just described, and thesingle spring applied in the manner described is susceptible of insuringa distribution of the stress or weight which is brought thereon throughthe frame uniformly throughout a considerable portion of the length ofthe spring.

While the features of construction above described are applicable tovelocipedes which may be driven through any of the usual or approvedforms of mechanism, I have illustrated in the drawings bevel-gear andshaft connections between the pedal-crank shaft q and the axle r of therear wheel, the particular arrangement of which for a particularpurpose, and also constructions most particularly illustrated in Sheet 2of the drawings, which are designed with respect to this particulargearing, constitute inventions for improvement, and they will be nowdescribed. The part 0 of the frame next to the rear of the backbone isjointed thereto by the same bolt 70 which supports the lug Z for thespring, and the said part 0, which is intended to be a forging properlyfinished, comprises parallel and separated cheek pieces or bars 25 t,with the opening s between said parts 23, which latter are, however, attheir ends united by the cross-webs u and u. The said part or forging Ohas opposing longitudinal waysv '0 formed horizontally through thecheek-pieces t t, which ways, as shown,

are wider at their rear sections, and the pedalcrank shaft q passesthrough them,'the same being extended outwardly at either side of saidcasting. The said shaft q is supported upon the slides G G, which fitand also lie outside of the said ways 4) 'u, said shaft-supportingslides being movable forward and rearward and are held in confinement bythe screw-bolts w, which have at one end a clampblock 20 and at theother a confining-nut w Each of the slides for the shaft q is providedwith a boss 00, having a flaring and internal peripheral ball-seat m,with which for the confinement of the balls co-operate the screw collarsy y, having the peripheral and curved or conical bearing-surfaces y, thesaid internally-threaded collars y screwing onto properly-threadedportions of the shaft q, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. The saidcollars are held in place by the check-nuts g H represents a bevelgeanwheel, which is secured on the middle of the crank-shaft by thescrew 10, passing obliquely through the hub of the gearwheel and intothe shaft, and,

as plainly seen, the said gear-wheel lies between the cheek-pieces t t.

J represents a gear-Wheel, which is secured in the hub I of the rearwheel, the said gear J being in a plane parallel with and but a shortdistance offset from the plane of the gear H. The axle r for the rearwheel is fixed against rotation and toward its ends it is provided withthe fixed collars or enlargements 12 12, with the peripheral and conicalbearing-surfaces for the balls of the rear-wheel bearing, whichcollar-bearing surfaces at one end of the axle r coact with those 15 atone end of the hub I, while the axle-bearing surfaces 13 at the otherend coact with the inclined and peripheral bearing-surface 16,internally formed upon the said gear J, which is secured to or is insubstance as one with the said hub.

K represents a shaft, which at its forward end is approached andsupported in proxim-- ity to the rear toothed rim of the said gear H andcarries fixed thereon a bevel gear-wheel L, which meshes with the one Hat the rear of the crank-shaft, and the said shaft K is extended to andbeyond the end of the rear axle r and carries at its rear end,which isopposite the rear portion of the toothed rim of the gear J, fixedthereon, the bevel gear-wheel M, which meshes with the onej which is setupon the rear-wheel huh I a considerable distance inside of, the extremeouter end r of the axle r. The forward driving of the crankshaft q thusforwardly drives the rear wheel through its hub.

I am aware that it is not a novelty to apply a bevel-gear on thecrank-shaft and another on the rear-wheel hub and to apply a shaft withbevel-gears to engage with the crankshaft gear and the rear-wheel gear;but heretofore, so far as I am aware, the rear-wheel bevel-gear has beenapplied about coincident with the outer end of the axle and the gear onthe connecting-shaft has engaged the rearwheel gear forward of the axisinstead of at the rear, and the line of the connecting-shaft hastherefore necessarily been more inclined to the common longitudinal lineof the machine and more widely or outwardly distended and cumbersomeopposite the rear bearing than here illustrated, for it will be seenthat under the construction shown in Fig. 2 the connecting-shaft K maybe inclosed in one of the rear-fork legs 2, which may be tubular andtheshaft extend closely past the end of the rear-wheel axle r to haveits gear M inwardly disposed to mesh with the gear J. There is screwedupon the extremity of the rear axle a tubular bracket or fixed part P,which forms the support for the rear portion of the connecting-shaft Kand the gear thereon, and to which part the tubular forkposed; The hub'Iat its end is flanged or cupped for the disposition and confinementofthe gear J, and the bracket P is formed to 1 partially inclose the gearin said cupped hub,

and a casing is supported on the said bracket P for. inclosing thebevel-gear M.

The rearward cross-web u of the part or forging t constitutes suitablesupports or brackets for the rear-fork legs 2 z, and said part 11/, asindicated at 00 is provided with an inclined and peripheral ball-bearingsurface, between which and the properly-formed portion of the hub ofgear L the hardened balls 22 are applied.

Under the construction set forth the bevelgear H on the crankshaft maybe removed and substituted by one of greater or less diameter, theposition of the crank-shaft being readily changed to accord with thedifference in diameter by loosening the confinement at the bolts wandforcing theslides either forward or backward, as the case may be.

B, Fig. 3, indicates a shell or casing for inclosing the gear-Wheel H,the same being supported on the forging or part 0.

The rear-fork leg 2 opposite the one inclosing the shaft K is supportedat its forward end on the forging O and the leg by the rear bracket-lug35 at its rear end is firmly held upon the rear axle r, the bolts 36 36serving as the means for a detachable confinement of the fork-leg, whichis necessary to permit the assemblage of the parts when constructed andarranged as described. Both the bracket 1 and the bracket-lug 35 at theopposite end of the axle are provided each with an upwardly andforwardly extended boss axially bored and tapped, each lug receiving thelower end of one of the oblique braces 32, the upper end of which is bya suitable form of joint confined to the upper end or portion of thesaddle-supporting post or upright 30.

What I claim is 1. In avelocipede,in combination,the wheelaxle and thefork extended adjacent the axle, and a lever having angularly-extendedarms or members and mounted for bearing at or near the junction thereofon the wheel-axle, one of said members having a pivotal connection withthe fork-leg at a suitable distance from its end and the other extendedin proximity to and beyond the extremity of the fork-leg and havingthereon a stop and a spring between the stop and the fork-leg extremity,for the purpose set forth.

2. In avelocipede,in combination,thewheelaxle and the front-fork legsterminating'at the rear of the axle and each provided with the eye h anda pair of angular levers, each comprising the members f and g, mountedfor hearing at or near the junction on the axle and each member fextended upwardly and rearwardly'and pivotally connected to a forklegabove its end, and each member g, being of arc form, concentric withsaid pivotal connection at the fork-leg and extended through thefork-leg eye and having the stopz' and the spring shown.

3. In a velocipede, in combination,aframe intermediately pivotallyjointed and a lug extended from the pivot, a spring intermediatelythereof supported on said lug, and links uniting the ends of said springwith portions of the frame which are forward and to the rear of thejoint, for the purpose set forth.

4. In a velocipede, in combination, a frame intermediately and pivotallyjointed and a lug hung upon the joint-pivot, and at its outer portion ofyoke form, a plate or leaf spring intermediately thereof embraced by andsupported on said lug-yoke, and links or clevises uniting the ends ofsaid spring with portions of the frame which are forward and tothe rearof the joint, substantially as described,

for the purpose set forth. i

5. In a velocipede, the combination, with an intermediate part of theframe havingopposite cheek-pieces t t with longitudinal ways therein, ofslides supported on said cheekpieces and movable in said ways and havingconfining-bolts therefor, said slides having the opposing openingsthrough them with the peripheral ball-bearing surfaces as" and thecrank-shaft passed through said slides and having the screw-collars y gwith the peripheral bearing-surfaces 11 and the balls, substantially asand for the purposes described.

6. In a velocipede, the combination, with the crank-shaft having abevel-gear thereon and the hub of the rear wheel h-avingabevelgear fixedthereon within the end of the rear g, substantially as described andaxle, of the connecting-shaft K, suitably sup-- ported and having at itsforward end a gearwheel which meshes with the crank-shaft gear and byits rearward portion extended next to and rearwardly beyond the end ofthe rear axle and having a gear-wheel thereon which meshes with therear-wheel gear, for the purpose set forth.

7. In a velooipede, in combination, the rearwheel axle having theenlargement with a peripheral bearing-surface 13, the wheel-hubsurrounding the axle and having the gear J fixed to move as onetherewith, the hub of said gear being internally formed to constitute aball-bearing surface opposite the surface 13, the balls, thedriving-shaft, and a shaft geared thereto and by its near portionsupported by the rear-wheel axle and having a gear geared to saidhub-gear, as set forth.

8. In a velocipede, in combination,the rear axle with the enlargementand peripheral bearingsurface and the hub with the gear .I andintermediate balls 16, the tubular bracket P, supported at the extremityof the axle, which is extended outwardly beyond said gear and having itsrear orifice formed to constitute a ball-bearing surface, the shaft K,havin g a gear-wheel thereon with aportion of its hub opposite theorifice of the bracket formed to'constitute a ball-bearing surface, andthe balls 18, substantially as described.

having a transverse wall or part, as u, aper-' tured and provided with aperipheral ballbearing surface, as m, of the crank shaft mounted on saidintermediate part of the frame and provided with a gear,a gear on therear wheel, a shaft having a gear on the rear thereof engaging therear-Wheel gear, said shaft projected forwardly through the aperture inthe part u and having a gear thereon which engages the crank-shaft gear,and the balls 22, substantially as described.

10. In a Velocipede, the combination, with the crank-shaft having abevel-gear thereon, the rear axle, and the hub of the rear wheel havinga bevel gear-wheel fixed thereon within the end of the axle, of abracket screwed and supported upon the end of the rear axle, theconnecting-shaft K by its rear portion supported on said bracket andextended rearwardly past the axle and provided with the bevel-gear, andsaid shaft at its forward end suitably supported and having the bevelgearwheel to mesh with the crank-shaft gear, substantially as described.

11. In a velocipede, in combination with the part 0, having opposing andseparated cheekpieces and the crank axle passed through and having asupport thereon, said part 0 having. at its rear end the transverseportion a, apertured as described, the rearwheel axle having the bracketP on its end and the wheelhub surrounding the axle and having the gear Jinwardly from the end of the axle, the tubular fork 2, supported on andextending between said bracket and the part it, and the connecting shaftpassed through said tubular fork and said bracket P and the part to andhaving the gears L and M, arranged substantially asdescribed, for thepurposes set forth.

EDWARD J. OCONNOR. \Vitnesses:

WM. S. BELLoWs, J. D. GARFIELD.

